Dark Emperor at Sivertson Gallery
Dark Emperor book cover
“Come feel the cool and shadowed breeze,
come smell your way among the trees,
come touch rough bark and leathered leaves:
Welcome to the night.” (more…)
The Rentola
Here are two historic photos of the Rentola, a Finnish boarding house at 4 N. 59th Ave. W., in West Duluth. The top photo is from Karl Hagglund, whose grandmother was a maid at the Rentola. The next photo is from 1961, courtesy of the Northeast Minnesota Historical Center. So the story goes, there was an old steam house nearby where Rentola residents took saunas. (more…)
All Souls Night at Duluth Depot Great Hall
The third annual Duluth All Souls Night will be held in the Great Hall of the downtown Depot on the evening of Tuesday, Nov. 2, 6-9 p.m.
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Minnesota Grouse Hunting
Has anyone been out early-season grouse hunting? I’m curious how people have been doing. I have seen decent numbers around Duluth and up the shore.
Grouse Hunting
New Items for the Fall
New ceramic work, functional and sculptural for the Northland at:
Northland Anti-war Coalition Statement on FBI Raids
On Friday, Sept. 24, FBI agents raided four homes of anti-war and social justice activists in Minneapolis, the offices of the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, two homes in Chicago, and others in Michigan and North Carolina.
All of the activists targeted have been involved in legal, open political work against U.S. wars and for solidarity with the people of Palestine and Latin America. None have yet been charged with any crime.
Reports indicate that this raid was more than a year in the making, and it follows on the heels of a U.S. Justice Department investigation revealing that the FBI has been illegally spying on activists in the peace and social justice movements for several years.
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Duluth tile contractors
Anybody have a recommendation for a good tile person?
Benefit Concert for Lake Superior Youth Chorus at Clyde Iron Works
Pizza buffet dinner and concert to benefit the Lake Superior Youth Chorus (LSYC) on Sunday, October 3rd @ Clyde Iron Works. The concert features performances by Sarah Lawrence & Cal Metts, Bill Bastian, UMD Vocal Jazz alumni in “Port Authority,” LSYC alumni and friends, and MORE! Come out for pizza and a night of great music to help support the Youth Chorus.
Pizza from 6-7 pm. Concert at 7 pm.
Tickets for sale at Clyde Iron Works or by calling (218)591-3515. $25 ($15 is tax-deductible)
Clyde Iron Works, 2920 W. Michigan Street, Duluth, MN 55806
Visit www.lsyouthchorus.org for more information
Volunteer Actors Needed For Haunted Ship
Time to start getting together our fabulous group of actors for the Haunted Ship on the William A. Irvin. Ever wanted to scare someone and get thanked for doing so? Ever wanted to leer at someone without having the police called? Now’s your chance!
We’re looking for a solid, responsible, fun crew of actors to staff the ship. The age for volunteers is 18 for safety reasons, but if you’re younger (like 16ish and extremely interested) or if you’ve worked on the boat before, we should be able to work something out.
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Fall Canoeing!
The sun is setting on this canoe season. Get you last fix in at Hartley Nature Center. This Saturday, September 25, from 10 am- 1:30 p.m., rent a canoe at the nature center and paddle around Hartley Pond!
Family Fun Day to Help Save the Skating Rink at Lower Chester Bowl
On Saturday, Sept. 25, at 2:30 p.m., all neighbors are invited to gather at the Lower Chester Park Rink on East 15th Avenue between Fifth and Sixth Street. This is a pot luck event with games, balloon animals, a magician, and other silliness.
There is a serious side to this event, too. The rink and warming house at Lower Chester Park are in danger of being torn down — and soon. They are still in good repair, and it would be a shame to see this facility continue to go to waste. The facility has been under-utilized for several years due largely to lack of consistent hours, no Zamboni, no easy way to flood the rink, etc.
The goal of this gathering on Saturday afternoon, aside from having some good-ol’-fashioned family fun, is to mobilize a neighborhood-wide grass-roots effort to keep this rink alive. We’d love to fill the rink on Saturday afternoon with as many neighbors as possible (from BOTH sides of the creek!). College students, high school students, and families with young children are especially encouraged to attend.
Utensils, plates, bowls and cups will be provided. Bring lawn chairs, beverages, anything with wheels (human-powered), and lots of enthusiasm. Folks with questions should contact Mabel Galvin at 724-7667, or Bev Bertnson at 724-6126.
Franconia Sculpture Park Art and Artists Celebration 2010
art and artists fest
14th Annual Franconia Sculpture Park Art and Artists Celebration
Saturday · September 25th · 10:00am to 9:00pm · Rain or Shine
. . . is a day-long festival celebrating the artists, the new sculpture installations, and our amazing community. A full day’s entertainment with artist-led tours, live music, dance, poetry, kids’ activities, and great food.
This year’s Franconia Fellowship and Intern Artists will be exhibiting their new sculpture installations – some interactive, some climbable, most simply amazing. There will be artist-led tours of the exhibition for those who like to get the inside scoop on the artists and their work.
Beaner’s One Week Live, Day Five
Friday, Sept. 24 | 8 p.m. | $8
Beaner’s Central, West Duluth
Mark Anderson Trio * Atlantis Quartet
Kilometers Davis * Billy Don’t Be a Hero
Yep, we’re doing it again. The first person to comment on this post will be on the guest list for free admission to tonight’s show.
Today’s vocabulary word: Varicocele
A varicocele is an enlargement of the veins of the scrotum, frequently causing a knotted or swollen appearance.
Fortunately, Duluth’s Progressive Medical Association had a “master specialist” back in the day. He considered the cause of a varicocele to be “often indiscretion” and listed as references some of “the leading businessmen of the city.”
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Beaner’s One Week Live, Day Four
Thursday, Sept. 23 | 8 p.m. | $8
Beaner’s Central, West Duluth
Yeltzi * Tony Furtado
Steve Isakson Band * The Brushstrokes
Rainy day fun! Get into the show free by being the first person to comment on this post.
26-hour Renegade Improv Marathon starts this weekend!
This is our official trailer for this weekend’s 26-hour Renegade Improv Marathon. (more…)
Hermantown Fall Fest
Hermantown Fall Fest this Saturday, Sept. 25, 10am-3pm
Over 50 vendors, farmers market and local history displays
Hermantown History Center
5255 Maple Grove Road
Duluth Street Scene, 1909
Street scene, Lake & Superior Streets 21 July 1909 (Minnesota Reflections)
I ran across this photo last year on Minnesota Reflections.
It was the people who caught my interest though. Looking into the faces of people caught in a random freezeframe of Superior Street traffic from 101 years ago grabbed me for whatever reason. I guess the fact that they’re gawking at a ruined street gives it a timeless quality. (more…)
Old Duluth Rock Shows/Posters?
A coworker recently left this poster in her office so I:
1) Pounced all over it.
2) Wondered if others in Duluth have old posters from big name (whatever that means) rock shows that took place here.
Does anybody else have posters they can upload a picture of … or just knowledge of other big acts that have come through Duluth?
River Icarus cello and film performance with Kathy McTavish
In 2009 Kathy McTavish was awarded an American Composers Forum / Jerome Foundation commission and an Arrowhead Regional Arts Council / McKnight Foundation grant to compose, record and perform a work for electrified solo cello called: “River Icarus: Rusted Bridge / Deep Water.”
The “River Icarus” project explores myth and memory, the ways we construct our personal story, the relationship to our physical surroundings and the myths/ghosts that exist in that landscape. This fusion of film and cello explores the ephemeral, elusive underworld of personal experience.
Join Kathy and Jodi Christensen on Thursday, Sept. 23, 7-8:30pm, Deep Peace Wellness Studio, located at 31 W. Superior St., Suite 501 (Enter through the avenue).
Watch, listen, draw, journal, meditate, or relax in restorative yoga poses.
Donations appreciated.
Wednesday night at Hartley Nature Center
Adult Night Out at Hartley Nature Center:
This week, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.- Fabulous Ferns! Learn to identify our areas “top ten” most common ferns and which work well in home gardens. Speakers include Carol Andrews, President of the Arrowhead Chapter of Wild Ones, and Clayton Oslund, author of What’s Doin’ the Bloomin’?
Free for Wild Ones and Hartley members, $4 donation for non-members
West Duluth 100 Years Ago
The photo above is from 1910. It was almost certainly shot from North 59th Avenue West, near where Tacony Street intersects it. I tried to replicate it with the modern shot below, but trees, fences and houses kept me from shooting at the same spot, and the view is much more limited.
Behind all the trees across the street is a rock outcropping that matches the one in the 1910 photo.
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Ghettos don’t just happen …
This is response to the post “Looking for Duluth apartment” in which “j-i-l-l-o” posted that someone was looking for a centralized location in Duluth and “Losjasmo” said that was a synonym for “ghetto-town.” “Wildgoose” took offense. So did I.
This summer I heard Majora Carter speak and something she said really struck me. “Ghettos don’t just happen … they are planned.” (more…)
Where do I buy celestial binoculars in Duluth?
Please don’t say Wal-Mart.